1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer apparatus, a control method thereof, and a printer system and, more particularly, to a printer apparatus through, for example, a network, a control method thereof, and a printer system.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, an output apparatus such as a printer or the like is connected to a host computer (hereinbelow, simply referred to as a host) or the like by an LAN such as Ethernet or the like, thereby constructing an information processing system. Not only one host but also a plurality of hosts, a plurality of printers, a plurality of scanners, and further, a facsimile apparatus, a communicating control apparatus, and the like for performing a data communication with an external apparatus are connected to the LAN, so that there is a case where an LAN system of a large scale which shares data transmission paths is constructed.
In such an LAN system, since information processing apparatuses constructing the system efficiently uses the data transmission paths, each of the constructing apparatuses always monitors a busy state of the data transmission path. When a certain constructing apparatus tries to communicate with another constructing apparatus or when the communication is impossible for a predetermined time or more because a load of the data transmission path is high during the communication, the LAN system controls so as to temporarily stop the communication (it is called a time-out process).
Further, a plurality of same kind (same performance, same format, and same operation environment can be set by the same procedure) of apparatuses can be also connected to such an LAN system. However, upon connection, it is necessary to perform an environment setting to operate in the LAN system to each of the apparatuses.
However, in the conventional apparatus, since a plurality of hosts and peripheral equipment are connected, a large amount of data flows into the data transmission path in a lump. When the load of the data transmission path rises and the communication is temporarily interrupted, the user cannot judge whether the interruption of the communication was caused due to a failure of an apparatus on the communication partner of such a communication or by a reason such that the own apparatus finished a session or by a delay of the communication due to a mere increase in the load of the data transmission path. There is, consequently, a problem such that the time-out process is unconditionally performed when a predetermined time elapses after the time point of the interruption of the communication.
For example, when the transmission of data is interrupted while the printer is receiving the data from the host, the user cannot judge whether the interruption occurs because the host of the data transmitting source interrupted the data transmission or a delay of the transmission of data occurs due to an increase in load of the data transmission path. Thus, the user performs the time-out process without intending.
When a plurality of same kind of printers are connected to the LAN system, since the environment setting has to be similarly repetitively performed many times, the setting operation is very troublesome. On the other hand, as for specific information (for example, apparatus identifier), the peculiar environment setting has to be performed to each printer, so that the user of the apparatus is required to carefully perform the setting. Therefore, there is a problem such that in spite of a fact that such an environment setting operation is troublesome and needs a scrupulous care, the setting is likely to fail.